Make-up removal wipe

ABSTRACT

To better facilitate the application and removal of make-up on the skin, including on the face, and especially around the eyes, the present invention provides a wiping product having two or more lobes which substantially conform to both the user&#39;s finger and the area around the user&#39;s eyes. The wiping product is not secured to the user&#39;s finger or worn like a glove, but rather is simply supported by one or more fingers in use. In this manner, the wiping product is both simple to use and provides excellent application and removal of make-up in often hard to reach areas, such as the recesses of the eyes.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.61/596,511, filed Feb. 8, 2012, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in a manner consistent with the presentapplication.

BACKGROUND

Typically the application and removal of eye make-up and other cosmeticsis performed with cotton pads, cotton balls, or non-woven wipes so as toapply or remove the composition by lightly rubbing the skin. Theseproducts are often square or round in shape and poorly adapted toremoving or applying make-up around the eyes. Moreover, when a userwishes to remove make-up from her eyelashes using a cotton or non-wovenpad impregnated with a make-up remover composition, a large proportionof the composition remains in the pad without contributing to removal ofthe make-up. Also, any make-up that is partially dissolved by theremover composition becomes trapped in the fibers, fouling the pad,shortening its life and making removal less effective.

These applicators are not particularly ergonomic for the removal ofmake-up, as the applicator is unable to adapt to the contours of theuser's face, which has both concave and convex surfaces, and cannotaccess smaller dimensions. For instance, the application may need to beaccomplished in a very precise manner so as to avoid bringing liquidinto contact with the eyes or in some instances may need to be folded orotherwise adapted to wipe around the eyes. Wiping about the eyes isparticularly challenging because of the many convex and concave surfacescreated in part by the proximity of the nose, the curvature of theeyelids and the top and bottom rows of eyelashes which are neither thesame length, nor similarly positioned, relative to the eye opening.

Accordingly, there is a need for a novel applicator facilitating theremoval of make-up. Preferably, the applicator is specifically adaptedto removal and application of make-up near the eye of the user.

SUMMARY

To better facilitate the application and removal of make-up on the skin,including on the face, and especially around the eyes, the presentinvention provides a wiping product having two or more lobes whichsubstantially conform to both the user's finger and the area around theuser's eyes. The wiping product is not secured to the user's finger orworn like a glove, but rather is simply supported by one or more fingersin use. In this manner, the wiping product is both simple to use andprovides excellent application and removal of make-up in often hard toreach areas, such as the recesses of the eyes.

Accordingly, in one embodiment the present invention provides a wipingproduct comprising a rectangular central portion and a pair of opposedlobes continuous therewith, each lobe having a curvilinear peripheraledge.

In other embodiments the present invention provides a wiping productcomprising a rectangular central portion and two pairs of opposed lobescontinuous therewith, each lobe having a base that defines one side ofthe rectangular central portion and a bell-shaped peripheral edge thatterminates in a tip distal from the base, the tip of the first pair ofopposed lobes being defined by the arc of a first circle having a radiusR1 and the tip of the second pair of opposed lobes being defined by thearc of a second circle having a radius R2.

In another embodiment the present invention provides a wiping productcomprising a rectangular central portion and two pairs of opposed lobescontinuous therewith, each lobe having a base that defines one side ofthe rectangular central portion and a substantially semi-circularperipheral edge, the peripheral edge defined by the arc of a circlehaving a radius R1.

In yet another embodiment the present invention provides a symmetricalwiping product comprising a liquid permeable nonwoven substrate, thesubstrate having a rectangular central portion and a curvilinearperipheral edge, the curvilinear peripheral edge defining four lobesextending from the central portion, each lobe having a convex andconcave portion, the concave portion being defined by a first circle C1having a first radius R1, the convex portion being defined by a secondcircle C2 having a second radius R2.

In still other embodiments the present invention provides a stack ofwiping products comprising a first and a second wiping product, thewiping products each having a pair of opposed lobes bisected by alongitudinal axis, the first wiping product being stacked on top of andoffset from the second wiping product such that the longitudinal axis ofthe first wiping product is orientated from about 5 to about 30 degreesrelative to the longitudinal axis of the second wiping product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating one embodiment of a wiping producthaving four lobes;

FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating an alternate embodiment of a wipingproduct having four lobes;

FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating another embodiment of a wiping producthaving two pairs of opposing lobes;

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating still another embodiment of a wipingproduct having four similarly shaped lobes;

FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating one example of an embossing patterndisposed on a wiping product;

FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating another example of an embossingpattern disposed on a wiping product;

FIG. 7 is a top view illustrating still another example of an embossingpattern disposed on a wiping product; and

FIG. 8 is a top view illustrating two wiping products stacked on top ofone another for improved dispensing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a wiping product having multiple lobes,such as two, four or six lobes. Compared to prior art wipes, the wipe ofthe present invention provides the user with more useable surface areafor wiping and multiple wiping surfaces.

The wipe, and particularly the curvilinear shape of the wipe'speripheral edge, also permits the user to intuitively determine whichportion of the wipe is best suited for wiping and to use the wipewithout modifying or altering its shape. Further, because each lobe isdiscrete, the user may use individual lobes for different purposes. Forexample, a user may apply makeup with one lobe and remove makeup withanother.

While the shape of the wipe makes it particularly well suited for theapplication and removal of makeup around the eyes, this is but onepreferred use of the wipe. The wipe may be used in various applications.For example, the wipe may be used to clean or treat parts of the bodysuch as the eyes, the ears, the nose, and the like. The wipe also may beused to apply a medicine, lotion, ointment, cleaning agent, or the liketo any part of the body, or any other object. It should be appreciatedhowever, that the aforementioned options for the use of the wipe is notintended as a limitation.

In one preferred embodiment the wiping product comprises four lobes,more preferably a pair of opposed lobes extending from a rectangularcentral portion. The lobes have curvilinear peripheral edges thatterminate in a rounded tip that is distal from the central portion. Therounded tip is generally formed by the arc of a circle having a radiusfrom about 5 to about 20 mm, and more preferably from about 10 to about15 mm. The shape of the lobe, and particularly the rounded tip, allowthe wipe to conform to the curvatures of a user's face and especiallythe eyes in use.

The components of the wipe may be made of various suitable materials.Particularly well suited materials include non-woven webs formed fromsynthetic and/or natural fibers. Preferably the non-woven webs arepermeable to both air and liquids. However, in certain embodiments thewipe may comprise a laminate of a non-woven web and a liquid impermeablesubstrate.

In addition to forming the wipe from different materials, individualmaterials may be imparted with patterns or textures to facilitate theremoval or application of make-up. For example, when used to removemake-up the wipe may include a texturized surface adapted to scrub orbrush the skin of the user.

In certain embodiments the wiping product comprises a spunbond web, acoform web, a tissue web, a meltblown web, a bonded carded web, andlaminates thereof. A nonwoven material can be made from various fibers,such as synthetic or natural fibers. In certain embodiments the wipescan have a dry basis weight of from about 50 to about 250 grams persquare meter (gsm), more preferably from about 75 to about 200 gsm andstill more preferably from about 100 to about 150 gsm.

In one embodiment, synthetic fibers, such as fibers made fromthermoplastic polymers, can be used to construct the cover layer of thepresent invention. For example, suitable fibers could include melt-spunfilaments, staple fibers, melt-spun multi-component filaments, and thelike. These synthetic fibers or filaments used in making the nonwovenmaterial may have any suitable morphology and may include hollow orsolid, straight or crimped, single component, conjugate or biconstituentfibers or filaments, and blends or mixtures of such fibers and/orfilaments, as are well known in the art.

The synthetic fibers may be formed from a variety of thermoplasticpolymers where the term “thermoplastic polymer” refers to a long chainpolymer that repeatedly softens when exposed to heat and substantiallyreturns to its original state when cooled to ambient temperature. Asused herein, the term “polymer” generally includes, but is not limitedto, homopolymers, copolymers, such as for example, block, graft, random,and alternating copolymers, terpolymers, etc., and blends andmodifications thereof.

Exemplary thermoplastics include, without limitation, poly(vinyl)chlorides, polyesters, polyamides, polyfluorocarbons, polyolefins,polyurethanes, polystyrenes, poly(vinyl) alcohols, caprolactams, andcopolymers of the foregoing, and elastomeric polymers such as elasticpolyolefins, copolyether esters, polyamide polyether block copolymers,ethylene vinyl acetates (EVA), block copolymers having the generalformula A-B-A′ or A-B like copoly(styrene/ethylene-butylene),styrene-poly(ethylene-propylene)-styrene,styrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-styrene,(polystyrene/poly(ethylene-butylene)/polystyrene,poly(styrene/ethylene-butylene/styrene), A-B-A-B tetrablock copolymers,and the like.

Synthetic fibers added to the nonwoven web can also include staplefibers which can be added to increase the strength, bulk, softness andsmoothness of the base sheet. Staple fibers can include, for instance,various polyolefin fibers, polyester fibers, nylon fibers, polyvinylacetate fibers, cotton fibers, rayon fibers, non-woody plant fibers, andmixtures thereof.

Besides, or in addition to, synthetic fibers, pulp fibers can also beused to construct the cover layer. The pulp fibers used in forming thecover layer may be softwood fibers having an average fiber length ofgreater than 1 mm, and particularly from about 2 to 5 mm based on alength weighted average. Such fibers can include northern softwood kraftfibers, redwood fibers, and pine fibers. Secondary fibers obtained fromrecycled materials may also be used. In addition, hardwood pulp fibers,such as eucalyptus fibers, or thermomechanical pulp can also be utilizedin the present invention.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the wipe may comprise ahydroentangled web. Hydroentangled webs, which are also known asspunlace webs, refer to webs that have been subjected to columnar jetsof a fluid that cause the fibers in the web to entangle. For example, inone embodiment, the cover layer can comprise HYDROKNIT™ (Kimberly-Clark,Neenah, Wis.) a nonwoven composite fabric that contains 70 percent byweight pulp fibers that are hydraulically entangled into a continuousfilament material.

In one embodiment, the wipe may comprise a laminate containing two ormore webs. For instance, the wipe may comprise a multilayered laminatedweb comprising spunbonded/meltblown/spunbonded laminate, aspunbonded/meltblown laminate, and the like. In a particular embodiment,the substrate may be formed from a laminate of a liquid impermeablematerial and an outer nonwoven cover material. The nonwoven covermaterial defines the top side of the wipe and may comprise any suitablefabric material, such as a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, or a knittedfabric. In this manner, the liquid impermeable material defines a backsurface of the wipe and prevents compositions applied to the top surfaceof the wipe from migrating through the wipe to the user's fingers.

In still other embodiments the wipe may comprise two different layers, afirst layer that is designed to apply or remove make-up and a secondlayer that is intended to facilitate handling of the wiping product.

As discussed previously, in certain embodiments one or more surfaces ofthe wipe may include a texturized surface. A texturized surface isparticularly useful when the wipe is used to scrub or clean surfaces,such as the skin. In a particularly preferred embodiment the wipecomprises a single ply of non-woven synthetic material, the wipe havinga top and a bottom surface where the top surface is texturized.

The manner in which a texturized surface is formed on a nonwoven web foruse in the present invention can vary depending upon the particularapplication of the desired result. For example, in one embodiment theweb may be embossed. In another embodiment the web may be matte finishedto provide a texture.

In still other embodiments a texturized surface may be imparted bythermally point unbonding a nonwoven web to form a plurality of tufts.As used herein, a substrate that has been “thermally point unbonded”refers to a substrate that includes raised unbonded areas or lightlybonded areas that are surrounded by bonded regions. For example, bumpsor tufts are the unbonded or lightly bonded areas that form raisedprojections off the surface of the nonwoven web to provide the necessarytexture.

The material used for the point unbonding process can vary dependingupon the particular application. For instance, the material can be asingle layer or can include multiple layers of material. For mostapplications, the total basis weight of the material should be at least1 osy, and particularly from about 3 to about 9 osy. Higher basisweights are needed in order to produce tufts with an appropriate height.

Besides point unbonding, other methods for creating texturized surfaceson base webs may be utilized. Examples of known nonwoven, texturizedmaterials, include rush transfer materials, flocked materials,wireformed nonwovens, and the like. Moreover, through-air bonded fibers,such as through-air bonded bicomponent spunbond, or point unbondedmaterials, such as point unbonded spunbond fibers, can be incorporatedinto the base web to provide texture to the wipe.

Textured webs having projections from about 0.1 to about 25 mm, morepreferably from about 0.2 to about 5 mm, such as pinform meltblown orwireform meltblown can also be utilized in a base web of the presentinvention. Still another example of suitable materials for a texturizedbase web includes textured coform materials. In general, “coform” meansa process in which at least one meltblown diehead is arranged near achute through which other materials are added to the web while it forms.Such other materials can include, for example, pulp, superabsorbentparticles, or cellulose or staple fibers. Coform processes are describedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,464. Webs produced by the coform process aregenerally referred to as coform materials.

In certain embodiments the wipe contains two nonwoven layers such asthat described in US Publication No. 2009/0151849. As such the wipe maycomprise a first nonwoven layer having first and second opposingsurfaces. The first nonwoven layer contains fibers formed from a polymercomposition and is generally opaque in nature. A second nonwoven layeris laminated to the first surface of the first nonwoven layer. Thesecond nonwoven layer contains a colorant that imparts a certain colorto the second layer. Prior to use, the colored second layer is notgenerally visible when viewed from the second surface of the first layerdue to the opaque nature of the first layer. However, bodily oilsabsorbed by the first layer during use can prevent light from adequatelyreflecting from the layer. Thus, at least a portion of the first layerbecomes translucent or transparent so that the color of the second layerbecomes visible to a user. This provides a variety of benefits,including the ability for a user to evaluate if or how much sebum wasremoved from the skin so that make-up can be applied with confidence.

As discussed previously, the shape of the wiping product make itparticularly well suited for the application or removal of make-up, andthe like, from the area around a user's eyes. In particular, the wipingproducts allow the user to easily access the recesses of the eye withoutincidental contact of the surrounding area or the eye itself. In thismanner the wiping product generally has a shape that is adapted to themorphology of the user's face, such as a lobe extending from a centralportion where the lobe has a curvilinear peripheral edge.

Generally the wipe comprises a central portion, which is preferablyrectangular, and at least a pair of lobes continuous therewith. Eachlobe preferably has a rounded convex tip and curvilinear sides, whichmay be either convex or concave. More preferably the wipe comprises apair of opposed lobes and still more preferably two pairs of opposedlobes, the two pair of opposed lobes being arranged such that the wipecomprises alternating tips and valleys, which define the region wheretwo adjacent lobes meet. In this manner the wiping product willgenerally have a width measured between the apex of one pair of opposingtips and a length measured between the apex of the other pair ofopposing tips. In some embodiments the length and width will be equal,while in other embodiments they are different.

Particularly preferred wipe shapes may be better understood withreference to the figures. For example, one embodiment of a wipingproduct is shown in FIG. 1, which illustrates a wiping product 10 havinga central portion 20 and four lobes 12, 14, 16, 18 extending therefrom.The central portion 20 is preferably rectangular and more preferablysquare. The sides of the central portion, which are defined by the pointat which the central portion meets the lobe, may vary from about 20 toabout 50 mm and more preferably from about 30 to about 40 mm.

As further illustrated in FIG. 1, the lobes have a curvilinearperipheral edge 26 that forms a rounded tip 24. In the illustratedembodiment the peripheral edge 26 is generally bell-shaped, although inalternate embodiments it may take any number of shapes, as describedbelow. That is, the curvilinear peripheral edge 26 has both a concaveportion, which forms the tip 24, and a convex portion 28. Further, theedge of the lobe tapers inward as it extends from the base 22 to the tip24. In certain embodiments the base 22 may have a width w1 from about 20to about 50 mm and more preferably from about 30 to about 40 mm. Eachlobe further has a height (the height of one lobe being designated as h1in FIG. 1) defined by a line extending from the base 22 to the apex ofthe tip 24, bisecting the lobe into first and second portions. Incertain embodiments the height may be from about 10 to about 30 mm andmore preferably from about 15 to 20 mm. The heights of the lobes may bethe same or may be different. For example, one lobe may have a height h1and another may have a height h2 wherein h1 and h2 are different.

With further reference to FIG. 1, the tip 24 is defined by the arc of acircle C1 having a radius R1. In certain embodiments the radius R1 maybe from about 5 to about 35 mm, more preferably from about 10 to about30 mm and still more preferably from about 15 to about 20 mm.

While the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises four lobes whichare substantially identical in shape, the lobes may be shapeddifferently. For example, in certain embodiments the lobes may be shapeddifferently so as to provide the user with lobes of varying dimensionsto aid in the application or removal of make-up. In a particularlypreferred embodiment the wipe comprises two pairs of opposed lobes, thefirst pair of opposed lobes being substantially bell-shaped and havingtips defined by the arc of a circle having a radius from about 10 toabout 15 mm, and the second pair of opposed lobes also beingsubstantially bell-shaped and having tips defined by the arc of a circlehaving a radius from about 15 to about 20 mm.

In still other embodiments the wipe comprises a central portion and twopairs of bell-shaped opposed lobes. The first pair of bell-shaped lobeshas a base that is about 35 mm and a tip distal to the base that isdefined by the arc of a circle having a radius of about 10 mm. Thesecond pair of bell-shaped lobes also has a base that is about 35 mm,however the distal tip is defined by the arc of a circle having a radiusof about 13 mm. In this manner the wipe has lobes of differing size andshape, which provide the user with a variety of wiping options whenapplying or removing make-up.

While the dimensions of the lobes and central area may vary, generallythe total surface area of the wipe is from about 10 to about 20 cm²,more preferably from about 12 to about 15 cm². Preferably the centralportion comprises less than about 50 percent of the total area of thewipe, such as from about 20 to about 50 percent and more preferably fromabout 30 to about 40 percent. The remainder of the surface of the wipeis made up of the lobes, which preferably comprise greater than about 50percent of the total area of the wipe, such as from about 50 to about 80percent and more preferably from about 60 to about 70 percent.Configured in this manner, the wiping product ensures the proper sizeand shape for optimized wiping of hard to reach areas and furtherensures that the user does not need to manipulate the wipe by folding orbending to access such areas.

In another embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 2, the wipe comprises lobesthat are semicircular in shape rather than bell-shaped. Accordingly, thewipe 10 may comprise a pair of opposed semicircular lobes 12, 14 and 16,18 continuous with a rectangular central portion 20. Preferably thesemicircular lobes have similar dimensions; however, they may bedifferent dimensions. Regardless of the specific dimensions, each lobehas a curvilinear peripheral edge 26 defined by the arc of a circle C2having a radius R2. In certain embodiments the radius R2 may be fromabout 10 to about 30 mm and more preferably from about 15 to 20 mm. Eachlobe has a base 22 that defines one side of the central portion 20. Thebase may have a width W2 from about 20 to about 50 mm and morepreferably from about 30 to about 40 mm.

In still other embodiments, such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG.3, the wipe 10 may comprise two pairs of opposed lobes 50, 52 and 54, 56having both different shapes and dimensions. For example, the wipe 10may comprise a rectangular central portion 20 and two pairs of opposinglobes 50, 52 and 54, 56 continuous therewith. The first pair of lobes54, 56 may be substantially bell-shaped such that the peripheralcurvilinear edge has a portion that is concave 53 and another portionthat is convex 51. The concave portion 53 forms the tip of the lobe,which is defined by the arc of a circle C1 having a radius R1. Thesecond pair of lobes 52, 54 are substantially semi-circular in shapewith a curvilinear peripheral edge 57 that extends from the base 60 toform the arc of a circle C2 having a radius R2. The radii R1 and R2 maybe the same or may be different.

In particularly preferred embodiments, such as the embodimentillustrated in FIG. 4, the wipe 10 is symmetrical and comprises fourbell shaped lobes 12, 14, 16, 18 having substantially the same size andshape. The inventors have surprising discovered that four equal bellshaped lobes extending from a rectangular central portion, where thelobes comprise from greater than about 50 percent of the surface area ofthe wipe, provide the optimal wiping substrate for applying or removingmakeup around the eye. For example, the wipe 10 preferably comprises arectangular central portion 20 and four bell-shaped lobes continuoustherewith. That is, each lobe has a concave tip that is defined by acircle C1 having a radius R1. In this embodiment the tip of each lobehas an equal radius of curvature, that is, R1 is the same for each lobe.The tip of each lobe is separated from the next by a concave curvilinearedge, the concave portion of which is defined by a circle C2 having aradius R2. In this embodiment the concave portion of each lobe has anequal radius of curvature, that is, R2 is the same for each lobe.

In addition to varying the size and shape of the outer periphery of thewipe to alter its appearance, the wipe may be embossed or otherwisetreated to create a textured surface. While the textured surface maytake on any particular pattern, three particularly preferred patternsare illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7. For example, as illustrated in FIG.5, the wipe 10 may have a plurality of embossments 65, 67 disposedthereon, interior to the peripheral edge 26. The embossments may beeither discontinuous embossing elements 65 or continuous embossingelements 67, or a combination thereof. In a particularly preferredembodiment, the embossments are disposed on only one surface of thewiping product. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment for a wipingproduct 10 having a top surface 2 and a bottom surface 4, theembossments are disposed only on the top or bottom surface.

Regardless of the specific shape of the lobes or the overall shape andappearance of the wipe, it is preferred that the wipe is bisected by atleast one, and more preferably two, axis. Preferably the axis bisectsthe wipe, including the lobes, into symmetrical halves. For example,with reference to FIG. 1, the wipe has a longitudinal axis A1, whichbisects the first and second lobes 14 and 18 into substantially equalhalves, and a horizontal axis A2, which bisects the third and fourthlobes 12 and 16 into substantially equal halves. In those embodimentswhere the wipe comprises two pairs of opposed lobes, which are dividedby a horizontal and a longitudinal axis, it is preferred that the axesare orientated about 90 degrees relative to one another.

Where a plurality of wipes of the present invention are provided toconsumers as a stack of wipes, i.e., two or more wipes stacked on top ofone another, the axis of adjacent wipes are preferably offset from oneanother. Offsetting the axis of adjacent wipes enables individual lobesto remain accessible to a user and improves dispensing.

Preferably a plurality of wipes is provided wherein each wipe has aperipheral edge defining a pair of opposed lobes bisected by alongitudinal axis, the wipes being stacked on top of one another andoffset such that the longitudinal axis of adjacent wipes are orientatedfrom about 2 to about 60 degrees, more preferably from about 5 to about40 degrees and still more preferably from about 10 to about 30 degrees,relative to one another. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates a stack ofwipes 30 comprising a first wipe 32 having a pair of opposed lobes 36,38 bisected by a vertical axis A1, disposed on top of a second wipe 34having a pair of opposed lobes 40, 42 bisected by a vertical axis A2.The vertical axis A2 is offset from the vertical axis A1 by an angle (a)that is preferably from about 2 to about 60 degrees, more preferablyfrom about 5 to about 40 degrees and still more preferably from about 10to about 30 degrees. In this manner the lobes 40, 42 of the second wipe34 are visible and accessible to the user even when the first wipe 32remains on top. Arrangement of stacked wipes in this manner improvesdispensing as a free edge remains visible and accessible to the user.While a wipe having multiple lobes itself provides improved dispensingover prior art circular lobes, dispensing is improved even more byoffsetting stacked lobes in this manner.

While offsetting successive wipes within a stack generally provides forimproved dispensing, dispensing may be optimized by selecting an offsetangle that minimizes sagging of the offset lobes. Because the lobes ofadjacent wipes are at least partially unsupported when wipes are offsetfrom one another, too great of an offset angle (α) may actually lead topoorer dispensing. Thus, in a preferred embodiment the offset angle (α)is from about 3 to about 30 degrees and more preferably from about 5 toabout 20 degrees, so as to adequately support the lobes of adjacentwipes in a stack and provide superior dispensing.

The stack of wipes can include any suitable number of individual wipesdepending upon the desired packaging and end use. For example, the stackcan be configured to include at least about 5 wet wipes and desirablyfrom about 16 to about 200 individual wipes, and more desirably fromabout 32 to about 50 wipes. The size and shape of the stack of wipes isdependent upon the size and shape of the package/dispenser and viceversa. For example, the height of an assembled stack of wipes can beabout 50 mm, with a width of about 60 mm.

The plurality of wipes can be arranged in a package or dispenser in anymanner which provides convenient and reliable one at a time dispensing.Suitable packages for storing and dispensing wipes may include anon-rigid container having sides with a top end portion and a bottom endportion where the sides and top and bottom end portions define a cavitywithin the container. The cavity includes a storage portion for wipes.The top end portion can include a resealable mechanism. A non-rigidbaffle structure has a width and is located in between the resealablemechanism and the storage portion with the baffle structure positionedbetween opposing sides of the container spaced apart from each other.The baffle structure thereby defines a dispensing portion of the cavityoverlying the storage portion of the cavity. The resealable mechanismcan be any type of mechanism that allows the package to be opened,closed and reopened multiple times during the life of the package, e.g.,a zipper with or without a stopper, resealable adhesive, a clip or otherstructure that achieves the result desired.

Although various embodiments of the invention have been described usingspecific terms, devices, and methods, such description is forillustrative purposes only. The words used are words of descriptionrather than of limitation. It is to be understood that changes andvariations may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the present invention, which isset forth in the following claims. In addition, it should be understoodthat aspects of the various embodiments may be interchanged both inwhole or in part. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claimsshould not be limited to the description of the preferred versionscontained therein.

We claim:
 1. A wiping product comprising a rectangular central portionand a pair of opposed lobes continuous therewith, each lobe having acurvilinear peripheral edge.
 2. The wiping product of claim 1 whereineach lobe has a base that forms one side of the rectangular centralportion and a bell-shaped curvilinear peripheral edge that terminates ina rounded tip having an edge defined by the arc of a circle having aradius R1.
 3. The wiping product of claim 2 wherein the base of eachlobe has a width from about 20 to 50 mm.
 4. The wiping product of claim2 wherein the radius R1 of the arc is from about 10 to about 30 mm. 5.The wiping product of claim 1 further comprising a second pair ofopposed lobes continuous with the central portion, each lobe having acurvilinear peripheral edge.
 6. The wiping product of claim 5 whereinthe base of the first pair of lobes has a width W1 from about 20 to 50mm and the base of the second pair of lobes has a width W2 from about 20to 50 mm.
 7. The wiping product of claim 5 wherein the first pair oflobes have a height h1 from about 15 to about 25 mm and the second pairof lobes have a height h2 from about 15 to about 25 mm.
 8. The wipingproduct of claim 7 wherein h1 and h2 are equal.
 9. The wiping product ofclaim 5 wherein the second pair of opposed lobes are substantiallysemi-circular in shape.
 10. The wiping product of claim 9 wherein thecurvilinear peripheral edge of the semi-circular lobes has a constantradius of curvature that is from about 10 to about 30 mm.
 11. The wipingproduct of claim 5 wherein the first pair of opposed lobes each have abase that forms one side of the rectangular central portion and abell-shaped curvilinear peripheral edge that terminates in a rounded tiphaving an edge defined by the arc of a circle having a radius R1 and thesecond pair of opposed lobes each have a base that forms one side of therectangular central portion and a bell-shaped curvilinear peripheraledge that terminates in a rounded tip having an edge defined by the arcof a circle having a radius R2.
 12. The wiping product of claim 11wherein the radius R1 is from about 10 to about 30 mm and the radius R2is from about 10 to about 30 mm.
 13. The wiping product of claim 11wherein R1 and R2 are equal.
 14. The wiping product of claim 1 whereinthe product is formed from a nonwoven material selected from the groupconsisting of a melt blown nonwoven material, a spunbond nonwovenmaterial, a spun laced nonwoven material, a staple carded web, an airlaid web and a wet laid web.
 15. The wiping product of claim 1 whereinthe product is formed from a single layer of liquid permeable nonwovenmaterial.
 16. A symmetrical wiping product comprising a liquid permeablenonwoven substrate, the substrate having a rectangular central portionand a curvilinear peripheral edge, the curvilinear peripheral edgedefining four symmetrical lobes extending from the central portion, eachlobe having a convex and concave portion, the concave portion beingdefined by a first circle C1 having a first radius R1, the concaveportion being defined by a second circle C2 having a second radius R2.17. The wiping product of claim 16 wherein each lobe has a base having awidth W1 from about 20 to about 50 mm and a first radius R1 from about10 to about 30 mm.
 18. A stack of wiping products comprising a first anda second wiping product, the wiping products each having a pair ofopposed lobes bisected by a longitudinal axis, the first wiping productbeing stacked on top of and offset from the second wiping product suchthat the longitudinal axis of the first wiping product is orientatedfrom about 20 to about 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis ofthe second wiping product.
 19. The stack of wiping products of claim 18wherein the pair of opposed lobes of the first and second wiping producthave a bell-shaped curvilinear edge.
 20. The stack of wiping products ofclaim 18 wherein the pair of opposed lobes of the first and secondwiping product have a semicircular curvilinear edge.